Rail-joint.



1,183,442. I Patented May16, 1916.

J. D. DOBBS.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4. 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEEf 1.

J. D. DOBBS.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICAHON FILED NOV. 4. 1915.

- Patented. May 16, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET Z- I THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH ,co., wAsHlNC-TQM, n. c.

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JOSEPH D. DOBBS, OF ESSEX, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOB. OF ONE-HALF TO MARY FISHER, OF DARLING, MISSISSIPPI.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1916.

Application filed November 4, 1915. Serial No. 59,648.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosnrI-I D. DoBBs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Essex, in the county of Quitman and State of Mississippi, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification. V

The present invention relates to improvements in rail joints, the object of the invention being to so construct and arrange the meeting ends of two rails as to provide an interlocking engagement therebetween, so that the said ends may be connected without the employment of fish plates or analogous devices.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following description and falling within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rail joint embodying the present invention, Fig. 2 is a central horizontal sectional view through the same, Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the rail ends, Fig. 5 is a similar view of the co-acting rail end, Fig. 6 is a side elevation illustrating a slightly modified form of the joint, Fig. 7 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same, Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the rails illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the co-acting rail end.

The rails R and B have their bodies of the usual formation, but have their webs at their ends enlarged. The enlarged end of the rail R is centrally provided with an extending tongue 1, the same having its upper and lower walls flush with the head and base of the said rail, and the end of the tongue is beveled or inclined downwardly from the top thereof to its lower edge, as indicated by the numeral 2. The portions of the rail R to the opposite sides of the tongue 1 are beveled or inclined inwardly, or in an opposite direction to the inclined end 2, as indicated by the numerals 3. The walls of the inclined portions may, and preferably are, inclined or beveled inwardly, as at 5, especially at the upper portions or at the head. The tongue 1 is provided with a plurality of transverse openings 8.

The enlarged end of the rail R is centrally slotted, as at 9,-the inner transverse wall provided by the channel being beveled, as at 10, the inclination of the said wall. agreeing with that of the beveled or inclined end 2 of the tongue 1, and the side walls provided by the slot 9 have their outer extremities or ends beveled to agree with the inclination of the shoulders 3 of the rail R. The upper portions of these ends of the rail R are beveled or inclined rearwardly and outwardly, as at 11, so that the said portions 11 will be received by the hooks 5 of the rail B, when the rails are assembled. The end of the rail R is provided with a plurality of transverse openings 12 which pass through the slot 9, and which register with the openings 8 when the rail ends are assembled, the said openings receiving the usual securing bolts 13 which are provided with securing nuts 14:. The j ointis adapted to rest upon ties T which are so spaced as to receive the outer end of the tongue and the portion of the joint provided by the slots 3 and the ends of the slotted walls of the rail R. If desired, however, a brace plate P may be arranged upon the ties T to underlie the rails at the joint thereof. The base flanges of the rails are provided with suitable slots or depressions 15 for the reception of securing spikes 16.

The above construction is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings. In the remaining figures I have illustrated modified forms of the invention. In Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive the rail A is similarly formed to that of the rail R, but the terminal of its tongue 2 is formed with an extending finger 17, and the lower portion of the terminal of the tongue is preferably reduced to provide a shoulder 18. The enlarged sides of the rail at the shoulders 3 thereof are centrally formed with depressions forming pockets 19. The co-acting rail A is also substantially similar to that of the end of the rail R, the same being provided with a longitudinally extending slot or opening 9 which communicates with the inclined ends 20 of the sides provided by the said slot 9. The members 20 are integrally formed with extensions or lugs 21 which, when the rail ends are assembled, are adapted to be received within the pockets 19, and the inner inclined wall 10 of the slot 9 is formed with a depression or socket 22 which is adapted to receive the tongue 17 of the rail A, and the slot or opening 9 terminates at the lower portion provided by the opening, a suitable distance away from the lower edge of the wall 10 to provide a ledge 23 which is 1 adapted to receive the shoulder 18 of the tongue 1.

It is to be understood that the lugs 21, the tongue 17 and the shoulder 18 are sufiicient in length to permit of the expansion of the joint without causing any of the said members to be fully withdrawnfrom their coacting sockets or ledges, and the rail A is provided with openings 12 which register with openings 8 in the tongue 1 and which are adapted for the reception of the securing elements 18 and 14:-

lVith a device as above described, the employment of fish plates or analogous devices is entirely dispensed with. The joint is strong, simple in construction, easily assembled and will effectively prevent the tilting or lateral movement of the rails at their ends, as well as prevent the sinking of the joint when the rolling stock passes thereover.

Having thus described the what I claim is:

In a rail joint, two rails having ends, one of said rails being centrally provided with a longitudinally extending tongue which has its terminal inclined and provided with a finger, the said tongue havinvention,

enlarged Gopies of ing its underface atits terminal'cut away to provide a shoulder, the rail end at the juncture of its tongue being inclined at an opposite direction to the terminal of the tongue, the shoulders thus provided having their sides formed with longitudinally extending pockets, the second rail end being provided with a central longitudinally extending opening, the terminal wall of which being inclined and being provided with a socket, the said opening adjacent its inclined terminal and at the bottom portion thereof having a ledge, the ends of the side members provided by the slot being inclined at an opposite direction from the terminal of the wall of the slot and being each provided with extending lugs which, when the rail ends are assembled, are adapted to be received within the pockets of the first mentioned rail while the finger of the tongue of the said first mentioned rail being adapted to be received within the socket of the second mentioned rail, and the shoulder of the tongue adapted to lie upon the ledge of the said second mentioned rail, and means for connecting the rail ends.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH D. DOBBS. itnesses GUS WRIGHT,

WILLIAM MONTGOMERY.

this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ofPatents Washington, D. G. 

